Love Music Hate Racism, graffiti artist Snub23 and Village Underground take on the bigots

13 March 2018

Newsdesk

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Internationally renowned graffiti artist Snub23 is unveiling a giant mural at Village Underground, Shoreditch, promoting Love Music Hate Racism and Stand up to Racism, in the run up to the United Nations Anti-Racism Day demonstrations in the UK and internationally on the March 17th.

Using the Great Eastern Street Wall Gallery, generously donated by Village Underground, one of London’s leading clubs and cultural spaces, Snub23 hopes his art will help drive home the message that music unites, while racism divides.

“Music and solidarity messages go through many movements and we’re reinforcing a strong message that music brings people together. We’re such a multicultural country it’s ridiculous that we have racism,” says Snub23, whose parents took him to demos called by Stand up to Racism’s forerunner, the Anti-Nazi League, and to punk gigs as a child.

After two decades of painting street art, Snub23 describes his work as “hard-hitting, raw, in your face, strong imagery that makes you feel powerful.”

Red Saunders, co-founder of Rock Against Racism, the spiritual and organisational forefather of Love Music Hate Racism, says, “The mural stands on the route of the 80,000-strong march to the first RAR carnival in Victoria Park 40 years ago. Incendiary graphics were at the heart of RAR’s work back then and it is brilliant to see graphic artists standing up to be counted again.”

Village Underground says, “Village Underground loves music and hates racism or bigotry in any form. We are delighted to have the opportunity to support an organisation that recognises the universal power of music to break down barriers and build relationships.”

Love Music Hate Racism Coordinator Lois Browne says the fight against racism has never been more important, and music is back on the front line of the struggle.”

“Love Music Hate Racism is about celebrating the vibrant multicultural and multiracial society we live in. We’ll be doing that on the M17 demo with a big sound system and guest artists appearances.”

“We are facing a massive rise in racism in Britain and across the globe. Migrants and refugees are being scapegoated. EU nationals are used as bargaining chips in Brexit negotiations. Anti-Muslim campaigns by the press have led to a dramatic rise in Islamophobic attacks in the wake of terror attacks in London and Manchester. Institutional racism is seen through deaths in police custody and the tragedy at Grenfell.”

“We have Trump in the USA and in Europe, the rise of the Freedom Party in Austria, Front National in France and AfD in Germany are signs of a resurgence of the far right. Music can help turn back this tide.”

Musicians have always understood their art thrives on diversity. They have always stood firm against efforts to segregate our communities, and their fans have responded. That is why, for example, efforts to marginalise and ghettoise musical forms such as Grime, now the UK’s best-selling genre, have failed.

From Nina Simone to Kendrick Lamar to Stormzy, artists have constantly challenged the status quo to ensure that people remain united.

Music is a connector, a cultural fabric that transcends social barriers and LMHR’s aim is to celebrate and defend the vibrant multicultural and multiracial society we live in and enjoy. Spread the message…